Forgotten
by Writefromtheheart95
Summary: Post TDW- Loki feel in love once, but she died when the Frost Giants invaded the palace...or so he thought. He has found her again, but she doesn't remember him or Asgard. Rating for swearing, violence and sexual situations...eventually.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

"Hey Anna, are you all right?" Tiffany Jones asked her. Anna looked up from her desk and shook her head. "I'm sorry, Ms. Jones. I'm fine."

"You've gotta make sure you take care of yourself, Anna. Finding a competent assistant is a pain in the ass," she said. She turned around, but then stopped and looked back at her. "Make sure you email those new designs to Cliff, kay?" She whipped back around and sashayed out of the room.

Anna sighed. Ms. Jones wasn't a terrible boss, but the fashion industry wasn't exactly her passion. She was expected to where all of the latest styles (some of which she thought were absolutely ridiculous). Going into the break room was a nightmare; she couldn't eat a grape without someone giving her the stink eye and mentally calculating how many calories were in it. Worst of all, she was surrounded by women. Other women didn't really like her, but she never knew why. The only good thing about her job was the pay. For a second, she seriously considered whether it was better or worse than working for S.H.I.E.L.D.

Once 6 o'clock rolled around, she was all too happy to leave. "See you later, Anna," Ms. Jones said to her as she was leaving.

"Bye," Anna responded as she went out the door.

As Anna made her way home, the dream that she had been thinking about nagged at her mind. She tried to shake it off. _Get it together, Anna. Dreams are just random images. They don't mean anything. _However, she could not forget the oddness of it. A man with dark hair and intense green eyes, standing over her…the image burned itself into her mind. She was so distracted by her own thoughts that she was in front of her apartment building before she had time to complain to herself about how long the commute from work was.

As she entered the apartment building, she noticed that one of the elevator doors was open, and someone was in it. "Hold the door!" she yelled, the person held his hand out so that the doors stayed open. Anna ran onto the elevator just as the doors were about to close again. "Thank you," she breathed, but her heart began to pound. He had magic; she could sense it. And if that wasn't enough, she nearly gasped. _He looks like the man from my dream._

"Of course," the man replied with a small smile. His somewhat long black hair was slicked back without a hair out of place. His face contained features that looked as if they were sculpted from marble: piercing green eyes, sharp cheekbones, and thin, but practically perfect lips. He wore a dark green button-down shirt, black slacks, and black oxfords.

For the briefest moment, she lost control of her magic. She felt her feet leave the ground. She quickly corrected herself, and shot a panicked glance towards the stranger. Luckily, he didn't seem to have noticed her slip up.

"You know," the man continued. "You're the first of my new neighbors that I have met."

"Oh, you're the new guy living in 7B?" Anna asked, hoping he would say no, he was in a different apartment. She lived in 7A.

"That's me," he answered.

_Damn_

"Have you always lived in New York?"

"No, I come from somewhere… quite far, actually." Her heart began to beat even faster. _Those are the words of a man running from a troubled past. _When the elevator doors finally opened again, Anna was all too eager to get off. To her dismay, however, the mysterious man began to walk with her, and she realized that she had picked the elevator farthest from her apartment. "By the way, I never got your name," he said.

"You first," Anna insisted. He laughed. "I'm William. William Clarke."

"Anna Tatum," she responded. She assumed that there was no use lying to him; he could probably tell she was lying anyway.

"A pleasure to meet you, Anna," he said. As far as she could tell, he was being sincere, although reading emotions wasn't her strongest skill.

When she finally saw 7B, she was flooded with relief. "Well, I guess I'll see you around," she said as she practically ran towards her own apartment.

"I suppose so," William said wistfully, though Anna didn't give herself a chance to analyze it before she threw her door open and slammed it shut.

Her mind swarmed with questions. _Who is that man? Where did he come from? Why is he here? _Some nagging instinct told her that she was connected to him somehow, but she shook it off. _It's just because he has magic too._ As she thought about him, an idea came to her.

Her whole life, she had never met anyone else that could use magic. She was an orphan and had no idea who her parents were, so that wasn't an option. S.H.I.E.L.D. had files on all of the known sorcerers and sorceresses, but her security clearance level wasn't nearly high enough for her to have access to that kind of information. Her only hope was this strange new man. Maybe he could shed some light on her powers. Maybe she could unravel the jumbled mess that was her past.

(Line Break)

Loki fell down on his bed and looked up at the ceiling. "I can't believe it. She's alive," he whispered to himself. He spent three years believing she was dead, slaughtered by frost giants. He blamed himself…after all, he was the one who let them into the palace.

A thousand questions plagued his mind. _Why is she on Midgard? Why does she not remember her life in Asgard? Did she do this on her own, or did someone do it to her? _

His biggest concern, however, was restoring her memories. He knew how to erase memories; he had done it many times. But bringing memories back was another matter entirely. But however buried they may be, he knew her memories of him were still there. He saw the briefest moment of recognition in her eyes when she first looked at him on the elevator. But recognition soon morphed into fear as her eyes went from emerald green to a pale yellow. He had to tell himself that it was simply because she sensed his magic and didn't remember him; he couldn't blame her for being cautious around another sorcerer.

His questions were still reeling in his mind as he fell asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

A bored sigh escaped Loki's lips as he watched Thor, Sif, and the Warriors Three sparring with each other. He had sparred for a little while but physical exertion did not hold his interest for very long. He stood up and left the practice ring. The others didn't notice his absence.

He was making his way to the palace library when he spotted something strange. Two guards were dragging a young girl towards the prison. Her blonde hair was in a disheveled mess, her eyes were practically glowing red, and her hands were tied behind her back. She wore a dirty tunic, a torn up skirt, and no shoes. She was covered in cuts and bruises, and appeared to have a slight limp, but, despite her injuries, she was still fighting the two clearly bigger and stronger guards. Suddenly, one of the guards flew across the courtyard. The girl tried to make a run for it while the other guard was distracted, but he grabbed her before she had the chance.

Loki was intrigued by the scene and crossed the courtyard. "What is going on here?" Loki demanded the guard.

"This girl was witnessed practicing magic," the guard explained. Loki looked at the girl. She obviously knew that she had broken the law, but she didn't blush or look away. She simply starred at him with a mixed expression of defiance and fear. Then, something strange happened to her eyes. They changed from a fiery red to a dim pink. "You are aware that it is against the law for commoners to practice magic?" She said nothing; she simply nodded without breaking eye contact.

Loki turned back to the guard. "Why don't you tend to your injured comrade? I'll make sure this criminal is dealt with." He took a hold of the girl's arm.

"But, sir-" the guard protested, but Loki waved a hand and he stopped. In fact, he appeared as if he had stopped _in time_. He pulled the girl into the palace. Just as they crossed the threshold, Loki snapped his fingers, and the frozen guard began to move again.

Loki felt the girl struggling in his grip. He could tell that she was trying to use her magic on him. He made his way to his bedchamber. Using magic, he threw the door open, pushed the girl through, and slammed the door shut. Her resolve faded as soon as she saw the bed, and her eyes turned yellow in fear. As he approached her, she closed her eyes. He turned her around and could feel her shaking. Her body immediately relaxed when he untied her hands.

When he turned her back around, she wore a confused expression and her eyes were a deep blue. He led her to the bed, sat her down on the edge, and kneeled in front of her. "Are you alright?" he asked.

She starred at him, completely stunned. He found a bruise on her arm, and touched it lightly. A small flash of light, and the bruise was gone.

"What are you doing?" the girl whispered. He looked at her and gave her a wiry smile. "I'm healing your wounds, of course. Those brutes really did a number on you."

"Why?" she asked.

"Because I don't care for the idea of two grown men assaulting a child."

"I'm not a child," the girl argued. Her eyes began to turn red again. Loki laughed. "What?" she questioned.

"You are sitting in the bedchamber of a prince of Asgard after just committing a crime punishable by death, and you're contradicting him?"

"I still have some dignity to maintain," she huffed. He laughed again. "You are not like any girl I have ever met."

"I'm not sure if that is a compliment or an insult," she stated.

"What's your name?" he asked. She paused for a moment, and he could tell that she was debating whether or not to tell him her real name. "Sigyn," she finally confessed.

Loki nodded as he stood back up. "There. That should be all of them." He held a hand out for her. She looked at it skeptically before she accepted it and stood up.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked.

"It is true that it is against the law for commoners to practice magic," he began. "But you, child, are full of magical potential, and it would be a shame to let it go to waste." She looked as if she wanted to protest being referred to as a child again, but she kept quiet, waiting to for him to continue.

"You will become a member of the guard," he announced.

"The guard? You mean the like men that brutalized me?"

"Well, they can't bully you if you are one of them," he pointed out.

"And what exactly do you get out of this _arrangement_?" she interrogated.

"All I ask is that you practice your magic and take lessons from me."

"And what of the two guards who arrested me?"

"My spell erased the one's memories, and I believe that the head injury will take care of the other one." Suddenly, a pair of servants entered the room. They took Sigyn and led her towards the door. As she was about the leave the room with them, she turned around. She gave him a small smile before the servants closed the door.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

The next day, Anna was even more distracted than she was the day before. She couldn't stop trying to think of ways to get William to talk. She could cast a loose lips spell, but he could probably protect himself from that pretty easily. She could simply approach him and ask, but since he didn't bring it up when they first met, she doubted that he wanted to talk about it. Perhaps he was trying to protect himself too.

"Anna, what on earth has gotten into you?" Ms. Jones asked her. Anna looked at the clock and realized that she had done nothing but stare off into space for at least twenty minutes. "I'm sorry, Ms. Jones. I just haven't been able to get a lot of sleep lately."

"You poor thing," Ms. Jones lamented. "You've been doing so much work lately, what with New York Fashion Week coming up."

"Not nearly as much work as you have, Ms. Jones." She waved Anna's comment off. "I live for my work, darling. Without it, I would surely wither away. You, however, have other passions, I suspect?" Anna gave her a guilty nod.

"Work that you do not like can be quite draining. You know what, Anna? You should take the rest of the week off."

Anna blinked in surprise. "But, what about Fashion Week?"

"I can handle things for a few days. Just go home and relax." Ms. Jones turned around and strutted out of the room.

Anna cautiously picked up her coat and her purse. This was certainly a strange decision on Ms. Jones' part, but, then again, she's done stranger things.

As Anna made her way home, she wasn't so sure she was happy to be given even more to think about William. He already consumed her thoughts to the point where if she were to talk to a therapist, he'd probably send her to a mental hospital.

Suddenly, she bumped into a rather large man. She was about to fall over when he caught her arm. "I am sorry, my friend, I did not mean to…" He stopped as soon as he looked at her. He was probably the most muscular man Anna had ever seen. He had a beard, perfectly blonde hair, and kind blue eyes. He wore a simple blue t-shirt and jeans. _What is this guy, some kind of god?_

"No, it's my fault, really. I wasn't watching where I was going," Anna said, but he did not respond. He simply kept staring at her as if he had seen a ghost. Something seemed familiar about him, but she couldn't really place it.

"There you are!" a female voice exclaimed. A petite brunette woman came running up to them. "I thought I had lost you for a second. I was worried and…who's this? Someone you know?"

"Oh, no, I just accidently bumped into him, that's all," she assured her.

"Oh, I'm so sorry. My fiancé doesn't always realize how big he is," the woman apologized.

"It's fine really. I wasn't paying attention to where I was going. I'm Anna, by the way," Anna said as she held out her hand.

"Jane," the woman said as she shook Anna's hand. "And this is my fiancé…Donald."

"It's nice to meet you both. So what brings you two to the Big Apple?"

"Oh, we're actually looking for a relative of Donald's. They haven't been on good terms lately, he was hoping that they could bury the hatchet and he could come to our wedding."

"Come, Jane, we must go," Donald said seriously. He began to walk away, and Jane followed. "It was nice meeting you, Anna!" Jane shouted as she ran after him.

"You too. Good luck!" Anna shouted back. She thought Donald's behavior was a bit odd, but she brushed it off as she made her way back home.

When she reached the door to her apartment, she was surprised to find that it was unlocked. _Did I forget to lock it? _she thought as she opened the door. She nearly had a panic attack when she flipped on the lights and saw Agent Coulson on the couch.

"It's nice to see you, Agent Tatum."

(Line Break)

"What was that all about, Thor?" Jane whispered as they wove through the city streets. "Did you know that girl?"

"I did."

"Who is she?"

"Someone I believed to be dead." Jane gave him a shocked expression.

"Her name is Sigyn," he continued. "She was one of the bravest warriors I had ever known. She died protecting my kingdom. Or at least, that's what I was told."

"What is she doing here?" Jane asked. Thor shook his head. "I know not. But I now know why Loki is here."

"What do you mean?"

"Loki would never admit it, but he cared deeply for Sigyn. The news of her death devastated him, especially since he believed that it was his fault."

"How so?"

"We were told that she was killed when he let the Frost Giants into the palace," he answered solemnly.

"Then how can she still be alive?"

"It is a mystery to me. It is also strange that she did not appear to know who I am. She seems to believe that she is a normal mortal who grew up on Midgard."

"That sounds an awful lot like magic to me," Jane commented.

"I know what you are thinking, Jane, but Loki would not have done this. He used his magic on everyone except Mother and Sigyn." Jane stayed silent for a moment. "What is it?" Thor asked.

"Oh, it's just strange for me to think about Loki caring about anyone." Thor laughed.

"Loki is not completely heartless. When we were younger, he cared for me very much." He paused. "I only wish he could remember that."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Loki watched Sigyn from a distance. She was being evaluated for her skills as a guard, and, he had to say, she was doing better than he thought. After winning several practice matches, the evaluators exchanged impressed glances. They called out the names of everyone who made the cut, but they didn't call Sigyn's name. Instead, she was pulled onto the dueling platform and one of the guards took her wrist and lifted it up to the sky. "We have been searching for a new member of the Einherjar, and I believe we have found her!"

Loki was shocked. The Einherjar were Asgard's most elite warriors. He certainly never expected her to be _that _good. A pang of dread spread through him when he realized that this meant she would have to go to war. He stood up and left the practice fields.

(Line Break)

"Can you believe it?" Siygn asked enthusiastically. Loki was sitting in his private study as Sigyn paced the next day. Her eyes were a bright green, much like his own. "The Einherjar! A little street rat like me, a member of the Einherjar!" Loki wanted to sulk so badly, but when he saw her smiling, he simply couldn't.

"It was certainly an interesting decision," Loki agreed. Sigyn smiled at him, and sat down next to him.

"What's wrong?" Sigyn asked.

"Nothing. Why do you ask?" Loki questioned. Sigyn rolled her eyes. "Men," she scoffed. "Always so secretive with their emotions."

"I am not," he protested half-heartedly.

"Of course not," she joked.

"Can we just get back to the lesson?" Loki complained.

"Oh, all right. Where were we exactly?" Loki opened an enormous tome. "Illusion spells. A personal specialty of mine." He flicked his hand, and a copy of him appeared across the room. "Woah," she whispered. A satisfied grin appeared on Loki's face. "Now, you try. Just picture looking at yourself standing across the room." He flicked his hand again and the illusion disappeared.

Sigyn threw him a nervous glance before closing her eyes and holding out her hand. A silhouette of her appeared for a brief moment, but it quickly disappeared as she lowered her hand and opened for eyes. "Good. Try it again. And don't close your eyes this time." Sigyn nodded and lifted her hand up again. This time, the figure had a few discernable features, but it disappeared quickly.

"You're not concentrating," Loki said.

"I'm trying," Sigyn argued.

"Try harder." Sigyn, eyes turning red, shot him an irritated look, but said nothing. Another silhouette appeared, which she held for all of twenty seconds before it disappeared.

"Perhaps this spell is a bit too advanced for you," Loki suggested.

Sigyn sent him a deadly glare. "I can do it," she growled.

"Obviously, you cannot."

"You were the one that said that I was full of magical potential."

"Potential and ability are two different things."

"If you thought I couldn't do it, then why are you teaching me?" She was practically fuming.

"Um…Sigyn?" Loki said as he pointed behind her. She turned around and saw about a dozen copies of herself staring at them. "Did I…?" Loki nodded and smiled. "Emotion can produce powerful magic. However, you must learn to cast spells when you are not emotional compromised. We would not want to be caught doing magic again." Sigyn nodded as she starred in awe at her creations.

"I think that's enough for today. Now cancel the spell." Sigyn waved her hand like Loki did, but the copies didn't go away. "Umm…"

Loki laughed and flicked his hand. The copies immediately disappeared. "We'll work on that next time."

(Line Break) 

"You can't be serious," Fandral scoffed. "A _girl _made it into the Einherjar?"

"And why can a girl _not _be a member of the Einherjar?" Sif argued. Loki rolled his eyes. He had expected this little tiff, but he was already trying to figure out how to end it as quickly as possible.

"It has never been done before!"

"I have seen her sparring with the other soldiers, and she seems very capable," Volstagg commented.

"Since you all seem to be so fascinated with her, I would like to observe her abilities myself," Thor announced.

"Is that her over there?" The group all turned to where Volstagg was pointing. Sigyn was dressed in a green tunic, tan leggings, and a pair of knee-high brown boots. She had a sword holster tied around her waist. She appeared to be on her way to training.

"That's _her_? She is much too pretty to be a soldier," Fandral commented. Loki felt a surge of anger flare up inside him.

"Sigyn!" Sif shouted. Sigyn turned around and immediately spotted Loki. They had agreed to pretend that they didn't know each other, so as not to raise suspicion. She quickly turned her gaze to Sif. "Lady Sif?" Sigyn said.

"Sigyn, I'm glad we ran into you," Sif said. "Fandral seems to believe that a woman is incapable of being a member of the Einherjar."

Sigyn turned to Fandral and cocked an eyebrow. "Really?" Sigyn questioned. The others couldn't see it, but Loki noticed her eyes turn from blue to yellow.

"Care to prove him wrong with a little sparring?" Sif offered. A mischievous smile appeared on her face. "It would be my pleasure."

(Line Break)

"Alright, alright, I give up!" Fandral finally surrendered when Sigyn had her foot on his throat. She smiled and let him go. "Think a woman cannot be a member of the Einherjar now?"

"No, I definitely will not make that mistake again." He stood up and rubbed his neck.

"Well, you've defeated Fandral and Volstagg, and tied with Thor, Hogun, and I. The only one you have not fought is Loki," Sif pointed out. "You want a go at her, Loki?"

Sigyn and Loki starred at each other. She gave him a small smile as if to say 'bring it'.

"Of course," he said as he stepped onto the practice ring with a confident smirk on his face.

"Begin on three!" Fandral announced. "One…two…three!" Sigyn immediately lunged at Loki and tried to punch him. He caught her fist and twisted her arm behind her back. "Come on, child, you can do better than that," he whispered into her ear.

"You're right. I can," she breathed. She delivered an almost perfect roundhouse kick to his face, making him release her from his grip. He recovered just in time to block a punch to the face, but not quite quickly enough to prevent her from jabbing her elbow right into a pressure point on his shoulder. His knees buckled, and he was on his back before he knew what had happened.

"Sigyn is the victor!" Fandral announced. Loki looked at Sigyn. He noticed her eyes turning yellow in fear. _She's afraid I'm going to punish her, _he thought. He smiled as he helped himself back up and approached her. "I admire your skills, Lady Sigyn," he said with a small bow.

Sigyn's cheeks acquired a pink tint as she returned the gesture. "Thank you, my prince."

"How impressive!" Thor boomed. "You are certainly an exceptional warrior! Tell me, where did you learn to fight like that?"

"Um…I'm sorry, your majesty, but I have to get to training," she stuttered as she collected her sword and ran towards the arena. The others gave each other confused looks. "I wonder what all that was about," Sif said.

(Line Break)

Loki found Sigyn practicing her sword techniques alone in the arena later that night. She completely demolished the practice dummy and lowered her sword, breathing heavily. "I'm glad we did not spar with swords. You surely would have ripped me to shreds," he said.

Sigyn faced him, and her red eyes turned blue. "Can I help you, your majesty?" she grumbled.

"No need to be so formal with me, child." She shot him a half-hearted glare before sitting down on a bench.

"Alright, what's got you so moody?" he asked. Sigyn sighed. "Your brother and his friends seem very kind," she said.

"I would have gone with hotheaded and idiotic." Sigyn rolled her eyes. "They may be a bit immature, but they mean well."

"So what's that got to do with your temper?"

"I just wish I had your silver tongue sometimes." He gave her a questioning stare as he sat down next to her. "I cannot lie like you can, Loki. Especially to people who have done me no wrong."

"Your good nature is going to get you killed one day."

"Maybe, but I cannot change who I am."

"Nor would I want you to." He smiled at her, and she returned to smile. "So, care to answer Thor's question for me?"

"I grew up on the streets. Sometimes, it is either fight or die." Loki nodded. "What about your parents?"

"My mother died when I was very young, and I have no idea who my father was."

"I'm sorry," Loki said solemnly.

"Thank you," she whispered. They sat in silence for a few moments before Sigyn stood up. "Well, I'd better get some rest. I've another long day of training ahead of me. Goodnight, Loki."

"Goodnight, Sigyn," he said as he watched her leave the arena.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

"What the fuck, Coulson? You nearly gave me a heart attack!" Anna shouted.

"Sorry about that, Agent Tatum. But I'm here to discuss a very serious matter," Coulson said.

"I know what you're going to ask me, and the answer is no."

"You belong in the field, Agent Tatum."

"I don't belong anywhere," she sneered. Coulson sighed. "Look, I know you were a bit shaken up after the Chitari invasion."

"I was in a coma for two months," she corrected.

"To be fair, I did, you know, die," Coulson pointed out.

"You didn't have to watch your comrades die, though." Coulson nodded. "I know that the attack has affected you more than most. But the world is in desperate need of your skills."

"That sounds like the world's problem."

"We just need you to help us find someone."

"And who is that?"

"We're not sure exactly. We've been picking up a lot of magical energy in the city."

"In the city? Can't you narrow it down a little more?" He shook his head. "Magic is a tricky thing for technology to pin down. It's almost like they're enemies of each other."

"And why am I looking for this guy?" she questioned.

"He's not in our records. We just need to be able to track him more precisely."

"So you need to put a dog collar on him?"

"I know you don't exactly approve of our methods, but our first priority is global safety."

"And your second priority is PR."

"We'll pay you double your usual rate." Anna let out an exasperated sigh. "Fine. I'll do it."

"Good. You'll be briefed on exactly what you need to do at HQ. With any luck, this won't take long, and you can be back to work on Monady."

"Are you saying your people have something to do with Ms. Jones giving me the week off?"

"You'd be surprised who our allies are." _Great, _she thought. _Even when I'm not working for S.H.I.E.L.D., I'm working for S.H.I.E.L.D._

(Line Break)

When they arrived at HQ, Coulson handed her a badge. "What's this?" she asked.

"A new I.D. badge. You're being moved up a security clearance level."

"Why?" she questioned.

"You're going to have to ask the Director. The order came straight from him." Something was strange about this whole situation. Why would Fury promote her just to find some wayward sorcerer?

Coulson led her into a huge with nothing but a small table with three chairs around it, one of which was being occupied by Clint Barton.

"Agent Tatum. Long time no see," he commented.

"Why is he here?" Anna asked Coulson.

"Just in case this new sorcerer turns out to be hostile."

"Yeah. Sure," she said as she sat down at the table. Coulson joined them and pulled a crystal ball out of his pocket. "Oh, you've got to be kidding me. A crystal ball? Do you really use those things?" Clint asked.

"Well, it's the best way to find someone without having a personal item of theirs," Anna answered.

"Superheroes, sorcerers…what's next, mermaids?" Anna ignored him as held the ball and began looking for magical energy. Her mind followed the path he took from this morning all the way to his current location. She was released from her trance, and Coulson and Clint starred at her. "Well?" Coulson asked. Do you know where he is?"

"Yes. Yes I do."

(Line Break)

Loki had heard the entire conversation between Anna and Agent Coulson. The fact that she was associated with them irritated him; it was going to be hard getting closer to her with Fury's boy scouts scurrying around her. But he honestly wasn't surprised. After all, they already had Thor as their errand boy. Why wouldn't they go after her?

Just then, he heard a knock at his door. He thought it was strange that someone was wanting to see him, since no one knew he was even there. As soon as he opened the door, someone punched him in the face. "Was that really necessary, Thor?" Jane asked.

"This is why I did not want you to come," Thor said as he stepped into the apartment.

"Every time," Loki complained as he hoisted himself back up.

"How many times must you die?" Thor demanded.

"Could I ever live free if you knew I was alive, Thor?" he questioned.

"You were a hero. Father would have forgiven you."

"I do not want father's forgiveness!"

The brothers simply starred at each other for a few moments while Jane awkwardly stood to the side. "I know why you're here, Loki."

"Oh? And why is that?" Loki snapped.

"I saw her. I saw Sigyn," Thor said. Loki's face fell. "I thought she was dead."

Thor put a hand on his shoulder, which he quickly shook off. "We all did. How is it possible?"

"I do not know. That's what I'm trying to find out." Suddenly, he felt a nauseatingly familiar presence. "What is it?" Thor asked.

"Excuse me," Loki said. "I have to go…take care of something."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

"I'm impressed," Loki said. He was looking at Sigyn as she cast an illusion to look like him. "I'm sure you are," she quipped as she turned back into her own self.

"I'm not sure which I like more." Sigyn rolled her eyes. "So what's next?"

"I thought that we would cut the lesson short since today is your big day." Sigyn blushed. "I don't see what the big fuss is about," she confessed.

"It is a great honor to be accepted into the Einherjar."

"I'm going to make a fool of myself," she said.

"You are one of the most capable warriors Asgard has ever seen."

"Well, I know how to fight. What I don't know is how to mingle." Loki laughed. "What?"

"Trust me, you're much more clever than most of the court. You'll be fine," Loki said as he was putting away a book. "Now go on. You'd better get ready. The ball is only a few hours away." Sigyn smiled. "I suppose I'll see you tonight then," she said as she left the study.

Loki's face fell as he turned to the corner of the room. "I know you're there, Amora." He heard a small laugh as Amora the Enchantress materialized before him. "My my, Loki. I've never seen you quite so taken with someone before. Well, at least not since you made the foolsih decision of letting me go."

"Foolish? It was one of the best decisions I ever made," Loki sneered.

"We could have been a powerful king and queen. In fact, we still can." She put her hand over Loki's, which he quickly pulled away. "I have no desire to take the throne."

"Sweet Loki, you may be able to lie to everyone else, but you can't hide anything from me," she cooed. Loki felt his eye twitch. "Just what exactly are you planning to do?"

"Well, it _is _illegal for commoners to practice magic." Amora flicked her blonde hair with her hand.

"Amora, I know enough secrets about you to have you put away for thousands of years." Amora's coy smile fell. "You wouldn't."

"Try me." The two circled each other like predators.

"Why are you protecting her?" she questioned.

"She is innocent. She doesn't deserve to be put to death."

"So you decided to keep her as your pet." Loki rushed her, and grabbed her by the throat. "Do not speak about her that way."

"Ah, yes, you always did like it rough. I wonder what Sigyn would think about that?"

"Why are you here, Amora?"

"I just wanted to give you a warning. You won't be able to keep your little secret forever."

"If you're planning on turning her in, you should know that I know your secrets as well."

"Trust me, darling, I won't have to," she said as she slowly began to fade away.

(Line Break)

Loki stood among the guests as they waited for Sigyn to arrive. "Who is she?" he heard one noblewoman whisper.

"Who is her father?" another asked. The chatter suddenly stopped and everyone looked in the direction of the grand staircase. One of the servants had appeared at the top. "The newest member of the Einherjar, Lady Sigyn," he announced. When she appeared, a collective gasp escaped everyone's lips. Even Loki's mouth fell open for a moment.

Her hair was elegantly done, pinned up in a neat bun with a few loose strands framing her face. She wore a dark blue, off-shoulder gown with sheer sleeves that came to her elbows, a silver sash around the waist, and diamond accents. She was more beautiful than any woman he ever laid eyes on.

She looked around the room nervously, and her eyes fell on Loki. He gave her a small smile to encourage her. She smiled back and descended the staircase with her head held high.

Loki felt a sinister presence behind him, and he turned around to see Amora standing some distance away, starring daggers at Sigyn. Her mother snobby-faced mother was standing next to her, and she pinched her daughter's arm. Amora flinched and folded her arms in irritation. Loki couldn't help himself; he laughed at the display.

Suddenly he felt someone nudge his arm. "Here she comes," Thor whispered to him. Sigyn approached them. "You're both looking quite handsome tonight, your majesties."

"And your beauty is beyond comparison," Loki said. Sigyn blushed. "I am honored."

"And we are honored to have such an exceptional warrior in the Einherjar," Queen Frigga said. The King and the Queen appeared, and Sigyn gave a small bow. "The Norns have smiled upon me to give me this opportunity."

"Certainly." Frigga gave Loki a knowing smile before she turned back to Sigyn. Odin said nothing. He simply gave her a small nod. "Now if you'll excuse us, I believe Sir Baldar wishes to speak with us," Frigga announced, and the two left. The music began to play, and Thor turned to Sigyn. "Lady Sigyn, will you honor me with the first dance?"

"Of…of course," Sigyn stammered. Thor held out his hand, and led her into the middle of the room.

"Be careful, sweetheart, you're practically drooling," he heard Amora say from behind him.

"More than I ever did for you," he jeered. He half-expected her to choke him right then and there.

"Good evening, Prince Loki," Amora's mother approached him.

"Good evening, Lady Helsa," Loki said politely.

"I see you and Amora are getting reacquainted. You must have missed her while she was staying in Alfheim."

"Oh, it was tough, but I seem to have managed." Loki noticed her eye twitch slightly. "Well, I certainly hope you two enjoy getting to know each other all over again."

"Absolutely. Now if you'll excuse me, Lady Helsa, I have some business to discuss with some members of the Senate," he said, and, before she could respond, he turned and walked away.

(Line Break)

The ball was becoming absolutely insufferable. He found himself alone in the garden, starring up at the sky. All night, he watched Sigyn dance with all of the knights and lords. He wanted desperately to ask her to dance, but something told him not to. He convinced himself that it was to keep Amora from targeting her.

He became extremely irritated when he heard footsteps behind him. "If you wish to live, I would suggest you leave immediately."

"Oh, sorry," he heard Sigyn say. Loki quickly turned around and saw her leaving. "Wait," he said as he grabbed her hand. "Please. Stay."

She turned back around and looked at him. "You don't really care for balls, do you?" she laughed.

"No, not really," he agreed. He gestured towards a nearby stone bench and, they sat down. "It turns out that I'm not either. It's wonderful to have everyone so happy for you, but it's a bit…suffocating. Though I'm sure it must be worse for you."

"How so?"

"Well, you're one of the possible future Kings of Asgard. People must want something from you all the time. I sometimes feel guilty for taking up so much of your time."

"Well, you shouldn't be." He tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, and she blushed.

"So why didn't you ask me to dance?" she asked, trying to change the subject. Loki frowned. "I just didn't want you to think that I felt the need to babysit you."

Sigyn rolled her eyes. "I know you're lying, Loki, but it's okay. You don't have to tell me."

"So trusting. That will get you in trouble one of these days," he whispered. He began tracing his fingers along her collarbone, and he felt her shiver.

"You not only saved my life, but you gave me a chance to start over. Why shouldn't I trust you?"

"I am the God of Lies," he pointed out.

"Yes, but I can tell when you're lying, and you know it."

"Oh, really?" he purred into her ear.

"Mm hm," she hummed. Loki turned her body so that she was facing him. She cast her eyes downward, but he lifted her chin so that she was forced to look at him. That was when he saw that her eyes were turning from a fearful yellow to a soft purple.

"Then perhaps I need to stop talking," he said as he leaned towards her. Their lips were only centimeters away when she screamed.

"What's wrong?" Loki asked quickly. She pointed to the ground. There was a snake about to sink its fangs into her ankle. He cast magic at it, and it immediately disappeared.

"I didn't think snakes could get into the royal garden," she breathed. Loki looked back towards the palace and saw Amora standing in the doorway with a wicked smile on her face. "Neither did I," Loki said as her wrapped a protective arm around Sigyn. Amora just shrugged her shoulders and returned to the ball.

"You had better get back in there, child. You are the guest of honor, after all." Sigyn nodded and stood up. As she was walking away, she turned around and mouthed the words, 'Thank you'. He smiled and mouthed, 'Of course.'


End file.
